US air force fires two more nuclear commanders, third officer disciplined amid leadership crisis
3 Nov 2014 The US air force has fired two more nuclear commanders and
disciplined a third, fresh evidence of leadership lapses in a nuclear
missile corps that has suffered several recent setbacks including the
removal of its top commander. The most senior officer to be relieved of
command was Colonel Carl Jones, second in command of the 90th Missile
Wing at FE Warren air force base, Wyoming, in charge of 150 of the air
forces 450 Minuteman 3 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles...At
the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, which
also is responsible for 150 Minuteman 3 missiles, Lieutenant Colonel
Jimmy "Keith" Brown was relieved of command "because of a loss of
confidence in Brown's ability to lead his squadron", the air force said.

Air Force sidelines 17 nuclear officers, Minot unit
suffering 'rot' from within 08 May 2013 The Air Force
stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to control -
and, if necessary, launch - nuclear missiles after a string of
unpublicized failings, including a remarkably dim review of their
unit's launch skills. The group's deputy commander said it is suffering
"rot" within its ranks. "We are, in fact, in a crisis right now," the
commander, Lt. Col. Jay Folds, wrote in an internal email obtained by
The Associated Press and confirmed by the Air Force. The tip-off to
trouble was a March inspection of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air
Force Base, N.D., which earned the equivalent of a "D" grade when
tested on its mastery of Minuteman III missile launch operations.

Minot Air Force Base airman killed in shooting
21 Dec 2010 Police said an airman from the Minot Air Force Base has
been killed in an off-base shooting. Police Detective Matt McLeod told
KCJB radio that Steven Crawford, 19, was shot with a handgun by a
fellow airman at Crawford's apartment Monday night. Crawford was taken
to a Minot hospital where he died. Police said the shooting appears to
be accidental.

81st
Civil Support Team Conducts Exercise at Minot Air Force Base 07 May 2010 North
Dakota's 81st Civil Support Team dispatched personnel and equipment
though blustery winds to Minot Air Force Base May 5, to practice air
load operations onto a C-17 Globemaster sent from McChord Air Force
Base, Wash. While the CST is configured to assist local incident
commanders in events known or suspected to involve weapons of mass
destruction, it also responds regionally to augment other states. CSTs
are divided into six different sectors throughout the country in order
to supplement partner states should a chemical, biological or
radiological event [is made to] occur.

The
following section was compiled by 'The Pundit.' Since the Minot story broke a week ago about the
missing nukeclandestine operation from Minot, we have the following
(for those who are paying attention):

1. All six
people listed below are from Minot Airforce base
2. All were directly involved as loaders or as pilots
3. All are now dead
4. All within the last 7 days in 'accidents' [Not all of them --LRP]

Silly me,
seeing more than there is to this story. I guess this is just another
coincidence.

But no
doubt now that there will be more coincidences in the near future
because as I have stated before, you need about fourteen signatures to
get an armed nuke onto a B-52, and they may have told their wives and
friends.

"The Pundit"*****

Police say shooting of Minot Air Force Base airman
appears to be 'accidental' 16 Aug 2011 Minot police say the
shooting of a Minot airman in an apartment appears to be accidental.
Twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Threatt was taken to a local hospital
with a head injury after the shooting about 1:40 a.m. Monday and then
flown to a Minneapolis hospital. His condition was not released. Police
Detective Matt McLeod told the Minot Daily News that Threatt and four other
airmen from Minot Air Force Base live in the apartment.

Minot AFB airman identified --The base Safety
Office is 'investigating' the accident. 01 May 2010 Officials at
Minot Air Force Base have identified the airman who died Thursday after
being struck in the head by a training missile during routine training
at the base. Senior Airman Richard Allan Gallelli Jr., 22, was a member
of the 17th Munitions Squadron, said 2nd Lt. Kidron Farnell, deputy
chief of Public Affairs at the Minot base. Gallelli had been in the Air
Force for three years and three months.

Minot Air Force Base Airman Killed --Internal
investigation underway 29 Apr 2010 The Minot Air Force Base says
one of their Airmen was killed in a training exercise around midnight.
In a press release officials say a male Airman from the 17th Munitions
Squadron was struck in the head while at work, and died of injuries
soon after. They are not releasing the name of the Airman. A
spokeswoman from the Minot Air Force Base says cases like this are
extremely rare and it has been at least ten years [?!?] since
something like this has taken place. [*Math check.* See: Minot base crew commander found dead --Cause of death unclear03 Feb 2009.]

Minot AFB prepares for biological and chemical attacks
--Minot AFB completes 'Prairie Night 10-1' drill 12 Feb 2010 Minot Air Force Base has completed a 48-hour
training exercise, dubbed Prairie Night 10-1, to ensure that members of
its 5th Bomb Wing are prepared in the event of a biological or chemical
attack if deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The simulated attack began
at 11:39 AM with the sound of mortars hitting. Airmen at the base
climbed into their chemical gear as if the attack were real in an
effort to build muscle memory for an attack in the field, making
preparation for the attack second nature to them.

Prairie Knight Exercise 10-1 at Minot Air Force Base
--Warbirds to participate in training scenarios that include donning of
chemical gear in aftermath of airfield attack 10 Feb 2010 The 5th
Bomb Wing launches a 48-hour exercise today to test the wing's
capabilities in preparation for an August conventional operational
readiness inspection. The two-day event, Prairie Knight 10-1, measures
the wing's ability to survive and operate in a contingency environment
and will include a launch of 24 B-52 combat sorties practicing to place
bombs on target, said Col. Julian Tolbert, vice-wing commander at Minot
Air Force Base.

Minot base crew commander found dead --Cause of death unclear03 Feb 2009
(The Associated Press) The body of a missile combat crew commander from
the Minot Air Force Base was found by police, and the cause of his
death is under investigation, the Air Force says. A statement issued by
the base Sunday said the body of Capt. Jonathan Bayless, 28, was found
Friday night. Police did not give details but said it was in an area
north of the city soccer complex, and they are awaiting autopsy
results.

Minot Missile wing now in Global Strike Command
02 Dec 2009 The men and women of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air
Force Base became part of Air Force Global Strike Command Tuesday.
Global Strike Command is the Air Force's newest major command and will
oversee all of its nuclear forces. The nuclear-capable assets the
intercontinental ballistic missiles of Air Force Space Command come
under Global Strike Command as of Tuesday.

New Minot AFB commanders vow perfection 29
Nov 2009 The sign over the main gate at Minot Air Force Base brags,
''Only the Best Come North.'' It's been a questionable claim over the
past two years at the North Dakota base following a rash of
nuclear-related mistakes that spurred no mushroom clouds but
embarrassed the military and cost several officers their positions. The
new base commander said the foul-ups - including a cross-country flight
from Minot of a B-52 bomber mistakenly armed with nuclear-tipped cruise
missiles - stemmed from lax attitudes in maintaining the arsenal there.
''We had a compliance problem,'' Col. Douglas Cox told The Associated
Press in an interview last week at the base. [Yeah, like Cheney
trying to strike Chicago with a 'missing' Minot nuke.]

Ousted Minot AFB commander Westa to retire 25
Nov 2009 Col. Joel Westa, the former 5th Bomb Wing commander fired Oct.
30, retired Monday rather than accept an assignment to Global Strike
Command. Westa was chosen to turn around the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air
Force Base, N.D., after airmen from the wing mistakenly loaded six
nuclear warheads aboard a B-52 two years ago. Maj. Gen. Floyd
Carpenter, 8th Air Force commander, arrived unannounced to Minot and
fired Westa after the wing failed its second nuclear inspection under
Westaís command.

Minot missile, bomb wings to become part of Global
Strike Command 15 Nov 2009 Members of the 91st Missile Wing at
Minot Air Force Base will make history Dec. 1 when they become part of
a new command Air Force Global Strike Command. The new command will
oversee all of the Air Force's nuclear forces intercontinental
ballistic missiles and bombers. The 5th Bomb Wing will become part of
the new command on Feb. 1.

Inspections are top priority at base 04 Nov
2009 The new commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base
said his first priority is to make sure the wing is ready for
inspections. Col. Douglas Cox began Monday as the top officer of the
bomb wing. Cox replaced Col. Joel Westa, who, along with the commander
of the base's 5th Operations Support Squadron, were relieved of duty...
"Building that credibility is one of the
biggest challenges that we are working on." [Yes, it
would be easier to clean the Augean stables in a single day.] "We
actually are inspected all the time so every day we're either
inspecting ourselves or we're expecting inspectors to come from outside
of Minot Air Force Base," Cox said.

New Wing Commander at Minot AFB 03 Nov 2009 There's a new wing commander at Minot Air Force
base. [This happens about once a week.] Col. Douglas Cox is the new
commander of the 5th bomb Wing. Col. Cox took over the wing after Col.
Joel Westa was relieved of command on Friday. Westa was removed due to
the Air Force losing confidence in his ability to command. Col. Cox
says he is ready to lead the 5th bomb wing knowing that perfection is
the standard.

Minot Air Force Base resident suffered
"self-inflicted" gunshot wound 26 Oct 2009 (ND) A 21-year-old
man was injured after he shot himself in the chest Monday morning,
according to the Jamestown Police Department. Police said the man, a
resident of Minot Air Force Base, suffered a "self-inflicted" gun shot
wound in the upper left chest in the room he rented on the second floor
of the Comfort Inn in Jamestown. Police were dispatched at 3:22 a.m.,
said Police Chief Dave Donegan.

Missile commander ousted at Minot Air Force Base
14 Oct 2009 The missile wing commander at North Dakota's Minot Air
Force Base was relieved of his command Wednesday after a series of
missteps at the unit, including two crashes of vehicles carrying
missile parts in just more than a year. Col. Christopher Ayres' was not
ousted for any misconduct or wrongdoing, but the Air Force said it had
lost confidence in his ability to command the base's 91st Missile Wing
given recent incidents.

'The investigation doesn't list what kind of bug it
was.'Military says 'large insect' distracted Minot AFB
missile driver --Shipment also contained two 14-gallon tanks of
liquid rocket fuel 09 Oct 2009 A truck driver
who lost control of a semi-trailer carrying missile parts from North
Dakota's Minot Air Force Base was distracted by a "large insect"
that flew in a window and landed on the driver's back, the military
said in a report released Friday. The Air Force said the truck from the
base's 91st Missile Wing, which overturned Aug. 31 on a gravel road in
northwest North Dakota, was carrying rocket engine parts for
intercontinental ballistic missiles but no nuclear material. It was the second crash of a base vehicle in just
more than a year. The Air Force spent about $5.6 million
last year to recover an unarmed booster rocket for an intercontinental
ballistic missile after the truck carrying it overturned in July 2008.

Minot AFB
Activates B52 Squadron 03 Sep 2009 This will make the most
powerful base in the world, stronger. That's how the commander of a new
squadron of B-52 bombers describes Minot Air
Force Base. Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Notari made the comments
today as he assumed command of the newly-reactivated 69th Bomb Squadron
at Minot's base. The addition of the 69th gives Minot Air Force Base
two active B-52 squadrons. The commander of the 8th Air Force says
having four B-52 squadrons - two in Minot and two at Barksdale Air
Force Base in Louisiana - gives him more flexibility in carrying out
the bombers' mission. And it will keep the bomber active for decades.

Semi-trailer carrying Minot AFB missile parts
overturns in ND --The oveturned semi-trailer carried rocket engine
parts for intercontinental ballistic missiles and two 14-gallon tanks
of liquid rocket fuel. --It was the second crash of an Air Force
vehicle from the Minot AFB in a year. 01 Sep 2009 Military
officials said Tuesday a semi-trailer carrying intercontinental
ballistic missile parts from the Minot Air Force Base overturned, and
it could take a week to clear the site in north central North Dakota.
Air Force spokeswoman Laurie A. Arellano said the semi-trailer
overturned Monday afternoon on a gravel road. The cause of the crash is
under investigation, she said.

I feel
so much safer already: 69th Bomb Squadron Soon Activated
29 Aug 2009 After months of anticipation and preparation, the Minot Air
Force Base is ready to officially activate its newly formed 69th Bomb
Squadron. The new unit will be the fourth operational B-52 squadron in
the Air Force. The Minot base is home to the 23rd Bomb Squadron and
Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana has two operational B-52 units.

Malmstrom nuclear weapons squadron activated
05 Aug 2009 A new squadron designed to streamline and improve the
handling of nuclear weapons systems was activated Tuesday at Malmstrom
Air Force Base, bringing 62 new personnel with it, according to Air
Force officials. The newly activated 16th Munitions Squadron will be
responsible for weapons storage area logistics operations. The tenant
unit at Malmstrom is part of the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group at
Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

Hold on to your hats!Report: Major growth ahead for Minot AFB 30 Jun 2009 Hundreds of new positions will be added at Minot
Air Force Base in the next fiscal year, according to an Air Force
report... The report calls for the addition of several dozen military
and civilian personnel at the Minot base as a result of bolstering the
Air Force's nuclear enterprise. As a result of strengthening the Air
Force's nuclear enterprise, the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB gains 10
B-52H bombers as part of B-52 force structure, according to the report.
[More to 'lose.']

Minot Base Commander Says Bomb Wing Back on Track 27 May 2009 The bomb wing commander at the Minot Air Force
Base says the wing "performed magnificently" in a surprise Air Force
inspection just completed. Col. Joel Westa was assigned the base after
a mistaken cross-country flight of nuclear warheads to Barksdale Air
Force Base in Louisiana in 2007. One of his missions was to restore the
reputation of the Minot base and its 5th Bomb Wing.

Nuclear Surety Inspection begins at Minot AFB
14 May 2009 A Nuclear Surety Inspection was initiated Wednesday at
Minot Air Force Base. The inspection team is led by a senior officer
representative from the Air Combat Command Inspector General's office
with oversight provided by representatives from the Air Force
Inspection Agency and the office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
This no-notice inspection is expected to conclude May 22.

Minot Air Force Base Simulates
Nuclear Missile Launch 05 May 2009 Minot
Air Force Base came within seconds of launching an intercontinental
ballistic missile this morning. But it wasn't an emergency - it was a
test of the 91st Missile Wing's ability to respond to an order from the
President to launch a nuclear-tipped missile. A Minuteman Three missile
from Minot's aresnal will be shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base in
California next month for an actual launch to test the equipment and
people from the local base.

Cause unclear in death of Minot crew commander 05 Feb 2009 Minot police say they have found no sign of a
crime in the death of a Minot Air Force Base missile crew commander,
but area waiting more test results. The body of Capt. Jonathan Bayless
was found late Friday in a field north of Minot. Police Capt. Al Hanson
said an autopsy was performed Monday in Bismarck.

Minot base crew commander found dead --Cause of
death unclear 02 Feb 2009 The body of a
missile combat crew commander from the Minot Air Force Base was found
by police, and the cause of his death is under investigation, the Air
Force says. A statement issued by the base Sunday said the body of
Capt. Jonathan Bayless, 28, was found Friday night. Police did not give
details and they are awaiting autopsy results. Col. Christopher Ayres,
the baseís 91st Missile Wing commander, said Bayless was a training
chief with the 91st Operations Support Squadron.

Minot AFB finalist for Global Strike Command
22 Jan 2009 North Dakota's congressional delegation says Minot Air
Force Base is one of six finalists to be the home of the Air Force's
new Global Strike Command. The military created the command to better
manage the nation's nuclear arsenal. It comes after a series of
embarrassing missteps, including the flight of a B-52 bomber that was
mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from
Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in August
2007.

Team to visit Minot AFB to plan for new B-52 squadron
10 Jan 2009 With Minot Air Force Base as the preferred site for a
second squadron of B-52 bombers, a team will visit the base early next
month to help plan for the new unit. Early last year, officials
announced that a second squadron of B-52s was planned for the Minot
base.

Minot launch component device 'remains missing' --Minot AFB officer to face court-martial10 Dec 2008 A Minot Air
Force Base officer accused of stealing a missile launch control device
will face a court-martial, the military said. Capt. Paul Borowiecki,
who was a missile combat crew member assigned to the baseís 91st
Missile Wing, is accused of taking the launch control device in July
2005, rather than destroying it as required when it was no longer in
use. The Air Force also said Borowiecki told officials that another
officer had lied in saying he destroyed a launch component. That device remains missing. That other
officer, whose name has not been released, has not been charged.

Military
brass to visit Minot base 30 Nov 2008 Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates and General Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff,
are scheduled to visit the Minot Air Force Base on Monday. Schwartz was
appointed by President [sic] Bush this summer during leadership changes
following the mishandling of nuclear weapons and equipment by the Air
Force, including at Minot.

Plans solidify for new B-52 squadron at Minot
21 Nov 2008 The Air Force confirmed it wants to locate its fifth B-52H
Stratofortress squadron at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Air Combat
Command officials announced Friday. The target date for standing up the
unit is late 2009 or early 2010. North Dakotaís congressional
delegation, briefed on the plan prior to Fridayís announcement, said
the squadron would have 10 planes, raising the number of combat-ready
B-52Hs at Minot to 22.

AF mum on result of no-notice nuke inspection
20 Nov 2008 The 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.,
completed its first no-notice nuclear surety inspection Nov. 17, but
Air Force officials would not say if the wing passed. It is the first
no-notice inspection the wing has completed since Strategic Air Command
was disbanded, according to Air Combat Command officials. In August
2007, Barksdale airmen discovered a B-52 on their runway that had flown
from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., mistakenly [!] loaded with six
nuclear-tipped cruise missiles -- the first of two incidents that led
to a period of heavily scrutiny of the Air Forceís nuclear enterprise.

Air Force: $5.6M to take rocket booster from ditch
03 Oct 2008 The Air Force says it spent about $5.6 million in its
efforts to recover an unarmed booster rocket for an intercontinental
ballistic missile from a North Dakota ditch. An Air Force truck
carrying the booster for a Minuteman III overturned July 31 a few miles
east of Parshall in northwest North Dakota. An Air Force statement
blames "driver and safety observer error" for the accident. The truck
was traveling from Minot Air Force Base to a launch facility when it
crashed on the gravel road.

Air Force says officer stole launch control device
29 Sep 2008 A Minot Air Force Base officer accused of stealing a
classified missile launch control device faces a hearing to determine
whether he will face a court martial. The Air Force said a hearing is
scheduled Tuesday at the base to evaluate evidence against Capt. Paul
Borowiecki, a missile combat crew member assigned to the 91st Missile
Wing.

Changes coming on nuclear training,
inspection --Inspectors found several
deficiencies in the nuclear security provided at the 5th Bomb Wing at
Minot Air Force Base, N.D., during a Nuclear Surety Inspection the base
failed last year. 20 Sep 2008 Air Force
leaders announced changes to the organization, training practices and
inspection process of its nuclear enterprise following the serviceís
Nuclear Summit held on Sept. 18 at Bolling Air Force Base in
Washington, D.C. Officials reviewed the recommendations made by the
Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management on Sept. 12 in a report that
ripped the Air Forceís current nuclear structure proposing the service
realign all of its nuclear missions under Air Force Space Command and
rename it Air Force Strategic Command.

Advisers: Consolidate Air Force nuke command
12 Sep 2008 The Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management recommended
the Air Force put all its nuclear missions under Air Force Space
Command and call the whole thing Air Force Strategic Command. Defense
Secretary Robert Gates organized the task force -- which was headed by
former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger -- after axing the Air
Forceís top two leaders last June due to its nuclear problems. The
recommendations Schlesinger announced Friday at the Pentagon also would
mean that Air Combat Command would lose its nuclear bomber mission.

Air Force officers sanctioned after sleeping on nuke
job 29 Aug 2008 Three ballistic missile crew members have been
punished for sleeping during a sensitive task, the Air Force reported
Thursday. Two first lieutenants and a captain fell asleep on July 12
while in control of a classified electronic part that contained old
launch codes for intercontinental nuclear missiles. It happened during
the changing out of electronic parts used to communicate with Minot Air
Force Base in North Dakota. Two officers are under investigation for
lying about destroying classified missile components, and another for
alleged sexual misconduct, the military reported.

Air Force Searches For Lost Launch Devices --Three
Crew Members Removed Over Allegations of Sex Abuse and Equipment
Tampering 28 Aug 2008 The Air Force says at least three ballistic
missile crew members at bases in North Dakota and Montana have been
taken off the job while the military investigates allegations ranging
from sexual abuse to missing classified components used in underground
launch control centers. The Air Force announced Thursday that an
officer who earlier worked at Minot Air Force Base's 91st Space Wing
notified the military in May that he and another officer had lied about
destroying classified launch components in July 2005. "They were
supposed to destroy them and they signed documents saying they
destroyed them," said Maj. Laurie A. Arellano, an Air Force
spokeswoman. Instead, she said, "they took them home." In May, one of
the officers notified the Air Force of the incident and "turned his
launch components over to the government." Arellano said the devices
are used on equipment inside the launch control center to detect
equipment tampering. One of the devices remains missing. "We only know of the whereabouts of one for sure,"
Arellano said.

Navy relieves commander of air recon squadron
13 Aug 2008 The commander of a Navy air reconnaissance squadron that
provides the president and the defense secretary the airborne ability
to command the nation's nuclear weapons has been relieved of duty, the
Navy said Tuesday. Cmdr. Shawn Bentley was relieved of duty Monday by
the Navy for loss of confidence in his
ability to command, only three months after taking the job.
Capt. Brian Costello, commander of the Navy's Strategic Communications
Wing One, removed Bentley from command, said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a
spokesman for the Naval Air Forces. The primary duty of the squadron,
nicknamed the "Ironman," is to provide communication with ballistic
missile submarines, Brown said. It is also one of three squadrons that
provides airborne communications for the president and defense
secretary to command and control the nation's nuclear submarines,
bombers and missile silos, according to the Wing's official Web site.

U.S. fires captain of Japan-bound nuclear warship
31 Jul 2008 The U.S. Navy said it had replaced the captain of a
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier scheduled for a controversial berth in
Japan after blaming him for a fire on board on the warship [?].
The United States has been trying to allay fears over the planned
stationing of the George Washington in Japan, the only country to have
suffered nuclear attacks. Doubts about the ship's safety were renewed
when a fire broke out on board in May... U.S. Naval Air Forces said in
a statement it had fired commanding officer David C. Dykhoff and
another officer over the incident and installed Captain J.R. Haley as
the ship's new commander.

Air Force brigadier general dies of gunshot wound
28 Jul 2008 An Air Force brigadier general died of a gunshot wound that
likely was self-inflicted, a spokesman said Monday. Brig.
Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, the commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base in
Anchorage, suffered a gunshot wound to his chest late Sunday night and
was pronounced dead within a half hour, said Col. Richard Walberg, who
assumed command at Elmendorf after Tinsley's death. "To the best
information, it's possible it was a self-inflicted gunshot
wound," Walberg said at a news conference. The weapon was likely a
handgun. His previous 22-month assignment was executive officer to
the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Mosely, who in
June resigned under pressure in an agency shake-up. Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates ousted both Mosely, the Air Force
military chief, and Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne, the agency's
civilian head, holding them accountable for failing to fully correct an
erosion of nuclear-related performance standards. One concern was a cross-country flight in August 2007
of a B-52 carrying armed nuclear weapons.

US
missile alert crew falls asleep on the job 25 Jul 2008 It was
9.30 in the evening. The crew of three air force members decided to
rest a little and within 15 minutes they were fast asleep. They awoke
several hours later. The only problem was that the room in which they
were snoozing was the missile alert facility at Minot air force base in
North Dakota. Directly beneath them was the underground control centre
containing the keys that can launch ballistic missiles, and in their
care were metal boxes containing the secret codes that allow the
nuclear button to be pressed. The incident is the latest in a series of
foul-ups and poor ratings for the Minot air force base. Last summer a
B-52 bomber was loaded with six air-launched nuclear missiles and
flown, unbeknownst to its pilots or crew, across America. [All three
men fell asleep--at 9:30 PM--and slept *for hours?*]

Air Force says officers fell asleep with nuke code
--July 12 incident was at Minot AFB, location of other incidents 24 Jul 2008 Three Air Force officers fell asleep [!] while in
control of an electronic component that contained old launch codes for
nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, a violation of procedure,
Air Force officials said Thursday. It is the fourth incident in the
past year involving problems with secure handling of components of
America's nuclear weapons. The incident occurred July 12, during
the changing out of components used to facilitate secure communications
between an underground missile-control facility and missile silos near
Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, according to Col. Dewey Ford, a
spokesman for the Air Force Space Command in Colorado.

Air Force declares lost B-52 crew dead24 Jul 2008 In a solemn statement early Wednesday,
2nd Bomb Wing Commander Col. Robert Wheeler bore bitter news of tragedy
to Barksdale Air Force Base and the surrounding community. The Air
Force and Coast Guard have given up hope any of the six crew members of
a Barksdale B-52 that crashed Sunday north of Guam are alive. Five of
the lost airmen were assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing. The only other
base in the world at which B-52s are permanently assigned is Minot Air
Force Base, N.D. Its 5th Wing has been peppered for years with 2nd
Bomb Wing personnel, and vice-versa, and it has not been unusual over
the years for a commander or a vice commander to move from the 5th Wing
to the 2nd Bomb Wing.

Air Force Finds Lax Nuclear Security 02 Jul
2008 Most overseas storage sites for U.S. nuclear weapons, particularly
in Europe, need substantial improvements in physical security measures
and the personnel who guard the weapons, according to a newly available
Air Force report. The Blue Ribbon review of nuclear security was
conducted after it was discovered that a B-52 bomber had flown across
the United States, from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to
Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, with neither the pilots nor
ground crews aware that six cruise missiles under one wing held real
nuclear warheads.

Moseley:
We Need a Failsafe to Human Error --A day after Defense
Secretary Robert Gates asked for and received his resignation June 5,
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley gave this exclusive
interview to [Defense News] Vago Muradian. 09 Jun 2008 Q. And that was
where the problems occurred? Following the Minot
incident, I would say more than 95 percent of my focus has been
about getting this right, and we had a commander-directed inquiry. I
commissioned Maj. Gen. [Polly] Peyer to conduct a blue ribbon review,
which gave us 120 or so specific things to address. My fundamental
tasking to her was, "Is there something bigger here? Is this just
an isolated case of a human frailty or are there systemic bigger issues
that we have to find and fix?" Q. So this was right after the Minot
incident? A. I started it right after. The secretary went out there and
General Welch did an overall study. So those 120, I believe, is a start
at getting at where general officers should be. What is the echelon of
responsibility?

Gates recommends Schwartz as next Air Force chief
--Gates asks Bush to Allow Donley to Start as Air Force Secretary
Without Senate Confirmation 09 Jun 2008 Defense Secretary Robert
Gates recommended Monday that Gen. Norton Schwartz, a 35-year veteran
with a background in Air Force special operations, be the next Air
Force chief. In a sweeping shake up of the Air Force, Gates also
formally sent former Air Force official Michael Donley's name to the White House to be
the next secretary of the beleaguered service. Gates announced last
Thursday that he was removing Air Force Gen. Michael Moseley from the
chief's job and Michael Wynne as its top civilian. Gates asked Bush to
designate Donley as the acting secretary effective June 21 -- a move
that would allow him to begin work without waiting for Senate
confirmation.

Gates seeks Air Force leadership on handling of
nuclear weapons 09 Jun 2008 In his search for new leadership
atop the Air Force, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is looking for a
"new perspective" that will fix long-standing problems in the handling
of nuclear weapons... Gates said at the time that his decision was
based mainly on the damning conclusions of an internal report on the
mistaken shipment to Taiwan of four Air Force fusing devices for
ballistic missile nuclear warheads. And he linked the underlying causes
of that slip-up to another startling incident: the North
Dakota-to-Louisiana flight last August of a B-52 bomber that was
mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

Minot Base Officials Say Airman Dies While On Leave
12 Sep 2007 The Minot Air Force Base said an airman has died while on
leave in Virginia. Airman First Class Todd Blue, who was 20 years old,
died Monday while visiting with family members. The statement did not
say how he died. The base said Blue was a response force member
assigned to the 5th Security Forces Squadron. [The primary mission of
the 5th Security Forces Squadron is to
'provide 24-hour law enforcement and security services for the 5th Bomb
Wing and all tenant units assigned to Minot AFB.' "Guardians
of the Upper Realm" --The host wing on Minot Air Force Base,
the 5th Bomb Wing operates the B-52H Stratofortress aircraft to provide
global strike and combat-support capabilities to geographic commanders.B-52 Stratofortress - Mission --Air Combat
Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety
of missions... It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional
ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.]

AF Secretary Visits MAFB 14 Sep 2007 The top
civilian in the Air Force spent the afternoon at Minot Air Force Base
today. Michael Wynne, the Secretary of the Air Force, arrived at the
base about 1 PM to get a personal look at how nuclear weapons
are stored, protected, and handled. His visit comes two weeks
after a B-52 bomber loaded with six nuclear warheads was flown from
Minot to Barksdale Air Force Base.

Staging Nukes for Iran?
By Larry Johnson 05 Sep 2007 My buddy... reminded me that the only
times you put weapons on a plane is when they are on alert or if you
are tasked to move the weapons to a specific site... Barksdale Air
Force Base is being used as a jumping off point for Middle East
operations... Why would we want to preposition nuclear weapons at a
base conducting Middle East operations? His final point was to observe
that someone on the inside obviously leaked the info that the planes
were carrying nukes. A B-52 landing at Barksdale is a non-event. A B-52
landing with nukes. That is something else. Now maybe there is an
innocent explanation for this? I canít think of one. What is certain is
that the pilots of this plane did not just make a last minute decision
to strap on some nukes and take them for a joy ride... Did someone at
Barksdale try to indirectly warn the American people that the Bush
Administration is staging nukes for Iran?

*****
'Opposing' view:The following email was sent to CLG on 19
September, anonymously.

Hello
there,
Iím a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force. I do network security, so,
thatís why Iím emailing anonymously, even though I really donít feel
itís necessary. Iím just paranoid like that, which is why Iím pretty
good at my job. ;) Also, parts of what Iím putting in here are probably
classified, which is the primary reason Iím sending this anonymously.
Anyway, I see a lot of people posting on Reddit about government
conspiracies about nukes and things like this. Itís frustrating for me
because itís really very silly. Please, let me explain some background,
to help you all understand whatís going on in the background for the
Air Force:

Minot
AFB is a dead-end base. Itís the abyss of the Air Force, the saying
goes ďWhy not Minot?Ē They have major retainability problems there Ė
people volunteer to go to Iraq, Korea, anywhere just to get out of
there. Beside its location (middle-of-nowhere North Dakota), the base
has very little real mission and spins its wheels forever in drills
that all result in the end of the world since itís a nuke base designed
to fight the Cold War. But, there is no Cold War for them to fight (at
least not one that Minotís golden piece of real estate would be useful
in fighting), so its people probably feel pretty worthless and tired of
fighting the now non-existent Soviet Union. The base has already been
re-aligned (more on that in a moment) and itís probably going to be
BRACed into a regional airport in a few decades. Ellison AFB in South
Dakota has already had its closure decided.

One
of the biggest problems with killing off Minot is its core mission Ė
all of the nukes it has. Its weapons capability is moving to Barksdale
AFB in Louisiana as the AF further consolidates after the Cold War and
infrastructure budget cuts because of Iraq et al. Moving weapons
capability to Barksdale, in real world terms, means moving the actual
missiles that would deliver the nuclear warhead to Barksdale. No big
deal, conventional weapons move all the time. Nuclear warheads,
however, when transported for these reasons, are moved by the
Department of Energy Ė a very time consuming, expensive, and burdensome
process that someone else will have to figure out much later once they
finally decide to close the base.

So,
the Air Forceís solution is to move the missiles, and leave the
warheads behind, to be dealt with one day when all of us are retired
and don't have to worry about it. Thatís what SHOULD have happened. So
the mission itself was pretty normal otherwise. (It may actually be
intentional to leave things this way, to prevent Congressional
involvement, as whatever Senator is from ND is probably desperate to
keep Minot around as long as possible; leaving the nukes, but
operationally stripping the base serves both sides purposes).

The
mistake, and the reason everyone now knows about this, is that the
warheads werenít removed from the missiles being moved to Barksdale. I
bet the guys on the ground in Barksdale were sure as shit surprised
when they cracked the payload open and saw a warhead. ;)

I
know as much as I do because I work with a cross-trainee whose last
base was Barksdale as a munitions specialist. He was involved in this
process there; along with the various other missions Barksdale has
(itís a pretty critical base in the AF). Anyway, you would think there
would be a pretty clear checklist for all of this, but apparently no
one even bothered. Doing what they do day-to-day, is pretty standard
operating procedure. People get lazy when they do the same thing day
after day, and thereís no less than a half dozen teams who would be
transferring these weapons around from storage until theyíre loaded.
The idea of someone dropping the ball in the AF is not exactly unusual
(quite common, actually, heh), especially when 4:30 rolls around and
everyone wants to go home. If the next step is to hand it off to the
guys who remove the warhead, and itís 1630 on a Friday, hell, letís
just leave it until Monday, since the mission doesnít fly until Tuesday
anyway. Monday rolls around, someone else takes over, and doesnít know
the job wasnít finished on Friday. There SHOULD be some paper trail for
that kind of thing, but then, like I said, people are lazy. Oh, and
Minot usually fails its nuclear operational readiness inspections. ;)
Sorry to kill your confidence in the military.

Iíve
seen too much crazy stuff to believe in some massive conspiracy,
thereís too many people involved. Youíd have to kill like 50 people to
ďcover upĒ moving nukes to Barksdale. Plus, what would it achieve?
Thereís already more than enough nukes at Barksdale to blow the world
up 3x over. Who needs 6 more? Seriously? Plus, more accidents occur
with conventional than nukes, since nukes are computerized and designed
to be super-duper safe. Conventional weapons are built by the lowest
bidder. [Yikes!] Iíd be more worried about a fully-loaded F16
flying around NYC after 9/11 sucking up a bird than a B52 with nukes
flying around without anyone knowing it was loaded with nukes. The
pilots couldnít "secretly" be in on it and launch them, the interface
wouldnít be installed, the COMSEC material wouldnít be available, etc.
Youíd have to kill half the base to hide the paper trail necessary to
give the pilots the ability to launch.

Several
people dying from Minot is bad, of course, but then, crazy stuff
happens. Motorcycle accidents, mind you, are the #1 non-war cause of
dead in the Air Force. The Captain who died wasnít a pilot (he was
Combat Weather, as evidenced by his pewter beret in the photo linked
from your site). Captains are a dime a dozen, just like the Security
Forces troop who died. Yes, a part of the Security Forces Squadron
mission there would be do defend the nukes, but heís not at all
involved in any of the process. He stands outside the door and checks
IDs. Seriously, thatís it. I have 5 cops (as they're generally called
in the Air Force) I deal with every day where I work because I do
computer stuff, and they have zero clue whatís happening behind the
door. They spend most of the day on the phone chit chatting with
friends at other security posts about the latest dorm gossip about who
slept with whom.

So,
to conclude, just chill out a bit about the conspiracy, itís kinda
silly. Plus, again, what would be the point? Itís not a big deal to
authorize a nuke mission. After 9/11 the entire Barksdale arsenal was
loaded and on the flightline ready to fly. I wouldnít sweat 6 who
someone forgot to unload.

Feel
free to republish, maybe it'll educate a few people.

V/r
SSgt

*****Rebuttal to 'Opposing View'The following email was sent to CLG on 19
September.

Iím
NOT anonymous, and I take issue with the anonymous "ssgt" statements.

Iím
a cold war vet from the US Navy, one who worked as part of an operation
designed to exhaust and bankrupt the Soviet military, by constantly
testing their limitations. This SSgt is a defacto shill for a
propaganda machine.

1st.

Bullsheep.
Plain and simple. IF this "SSgt" was actually just debunking a load of
Steaming Holstein, none of his command would have much issue with any
of his statements, especially publicly available facts such as
retention rates and base activities that are noted on google.com,
mil.gov, wikipedia, and many other websites worldwide. There is no need
to be anonymous when youíre not releasing classified data, is there?
Saying "there is not a plot" is not contrary to secure data, even if
there is not a plot.

2nd

6
people dying within days of a world-record nuclear screw-up is
decidedly newsworthy, and suspicious, in itself. The rate of fatalities
in the military isnít that high even in war zones.

3rd

The
"Decider" has already stated that he believes the USA has the right to
bomb Iran, and that he will not certify that heíd refuse to use nukes.
"No option is off the table" as he is fond of saying. I think thatís
pretty damn clear, being as it is coming from the Commander In Chief.

4th

The
military reporting of these incidents is itself contrary to military
secrecy, reason, and law. I suspect an altogether different agenda. I
believe that this high-level press coverage of a screw up, carrying
nukes on B52s, is designed to use the US Media [gasp, theyíve never
done that before!] to pressure Iran to meet US demands.

a.

The
US military would never release to the public any real classified data,
especially including data about moved or missing nukes, without
authority from the White House.

b.

The
US media is NOT entitled to print or distribute classified information,
and is NEVER brought-in as it was in this case, so rapidly or on such
an elemental and critical faux paus.

c.

The
only logical excuse for the sudden and detail-filled news coverage of
this event is that of an intentional release of data for political
purposes.

5th

Declaring
that the US Military is lying in the media isnít illegal provided that
one does not expose any actual events or secrets, or violate the UCMJ
by disobeying a direct order. All soldiers still have their civil
rights. These rights are merely waived as needed for valid military
purposes, as it is the job of a soldier to take abnormal risks and bear
state secrets.

If
it was really a secret, the anonymous sergeant would now be a traitor
to the USA, just by talking about it. Thus, the implication that the
letter is legit, is ALSO an implication that the letter is NOT legit.
There is no need to be anonymous if itís not a secret. QED. This is an
example of a circular argument.

Thus,
"I" am not violating any UCMJ or Federal laws by stating that itís
bunk. You canít cite me for a double negative: Iím stating that what
doesnít exist, doesnít not exist. We call that the First Amendment, and
whether Dumbya likes it or not, itís still in force. Iím saying that
there is no pink elephant.

The
missiles were moved, without any doubts, intentionally; OR The missiles
were never moved and the press coverage is based on propaganda to scare
Iran; OR the missiles were moved and the press coverage is based on
propaganda to scare Iran. You canít prove or disprove what the US
military has done without EXTERNAL data. Theyíll say whatever they want
to suit themselves.